Journalism student named Joan Donaldson CBC News Scholarship recipient
Final-year Journalism student Joseph Ryan was recently awarded the renowned Joan Donaldson CBC News Scholarship by CBC, a program that provides aspiring journalists the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in all areas of multi-platform news working in digital, radio and television. Ryan will participate in the esteemed program for 16 weeks from May to August, and experience the ins and outs of the CBC newsroom.
“There’s a lot of work that went into getting this scholarship. I sometimes wish I could go back in time and tell first-year Joseph that the work would be worth it,” he said. “Now I’m proud to be representing The Creative School and join a long line of really accomplished journalists.”
Journalism student Joseph Ryan
The Donaldson Scholarship is a prestigious award, given to students who have demonstrated excellence in digital, chase production, field production and TV news writing, exceptional academic performance, ability to learn and aptitude for the trade, engagement in the world around them through community participation or travel, and strong potential for producing journalism marked by intelligent observation, command of facts, understanding of context and clarity of expression. Through his personal and professional experiences, Ryan has demonstrated all of these qualities and speaks volumes to his craft. He is one of 11 students from across Canada that was selected for the Scholarship.
From final-year internship to Donaldson Scholar
The Joan Donaldson appointment will be Ryan’s second time working with CBC. In the fall semester, for his final-year internship in the Journalism program, Ryan spent six weeks full-time in the CBC newsroom in Quebec City. During his internship, he worked on all aspects of CBC Radio, from interviewing sources to editing sound clips together.
Joseph Ryan in the CBC Newsroom in Quebec City
Prior to CBC, Ryan worked as a communications intern with University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, as well as a newsletter writer within the School of Journalism. Currently, he works as a marketing and communications assistant with The Creative School’s Dean’s Office and writes stories for the Top 5 newsletter.
Mastering essential journalism skills
The Journalism program at The Creative School equips students to be completely newsroom-ready upon graduation. Throughout the four years, students learn interdisciplinary skills in news writing, production, on-air broadcast, radio and podcasting, and more. They are taught to master professional storytelling techniques for online, print, audio, visual, and social media. Through the optional fourth-year internship, students have the opportunity to work in a newsroom to gain real-world reporting experience prior to graduation.
Ryan says the Journalism program helped equip him with all the essential skills needed to work in a major newsroom and allowed him to diversify his portfolio throughout his degree.
“There are so many mentors, peers, experiences, professors and courses that really shaped me into the student and journalist I am today. I owe it to them for helping me build vision and ambition,” said Ryan.
Learn more about the Joan Donaldson CBC News Scholarship and view the recipients here (external link) .
The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University
The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.